Faculty Summer Reading: G.W. Carlson

Today we’ll start an occasional June series with summer reading recommendations from Bethel’s history professors. We’ll start — where else? — with the famously bibliophilicG.W. Carlson.

Considering how voraciously GW read while teaching full-time, it’s scary to think how many books might be consumed now that he’s retired. But he limited himself to just a few suggestions for this post, understanding that most of us can’t keep up his pace. Prices listed refer to the hardcover copy of the book available at or through one of GW’s favorite St. Paul bookstores, Common Good Books. (No Kindle, no Amazon or Barnes & Noble, naturally!)

“A short novel which explores the issues of forgiveness and reconciliation about an obnoxious professional baseball playing father who beans an up and coming young star. The young player is seriously injured. Can the two reconcile is the objective of the baseball player’s son.”

“A short reflection by a major figure of the civil rights movement and long-time congressman from Georgia. He defines the values behind the civil rights movement and the continued search for the ‘beloved community.’ It illustrates well why some are angry at today’s efforts to disenfranchise voters by measures which ‘suppress the vote.'”

“A new biography of some courageous Christian dissenters (‘righteous Gentiles’) who played a significant role in challenging the Holocaust by hiding Jews as they came into the French town of Le Chambon.”

“A preeminent church historian who attempts to suggests ways in which the religious communities can play a role in helping America reduce political and religious incivility and search for the common good.”